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About Numbers 1-19 and 20-36
An interview with Michael Morales
EV: What is a major theme of Numbers?
MM: Numbers focuses on the wonder (and hazards) of being God’s people as a covenant community, with the Lord God’s presence dwelling among them. The construction of the Camp of Israel marks a historic event and was a major goal of the Sinai covenant. The threefold camp, comprised of the Lord’s central Dwelling, surrounded by the Levites’ inner camp, and then by the outer camp of the twelve tribes, becomes the paradigm and blueprint of the covenant community ever after. During the wilderness sojourn, that camp structure (and its theological logic) gets tested and explored: for example, chapters 11-15 focus entirely on the outer camp of the twelve tribes, and then chapters 16-18 focus on the inner camp of the Levites, moving inward along the camp’s structure until we get to chapter 20, which focuses on the Lord’s central camp. All that to say that Numbers has much to teach us about ecclesiology, the doctrine of God’s people, and the relationship between God and his people. In other words, the Camp of Israel is not simply God’s organizing his people for departure, for traveling through the desert—no, it’s God’s creation of his covenant community! Rather than reading Numbers 1-6 as looking forward to the journey, these chapters should be read as the fulfillment and fruition of Israel’s arrival at Mount Sinai in Exodus 19.
EV: Who’s your target audience, and what are you most hoping they hear from it?
MM: I hope that professors, pastors, teachers, and any students of Scripture, will find these volumes helpful for understanding Numbers at a deeper level, which will then open up the rest of the Scriptures, too. Despite adventurous stories of unleashed fire, poisonous serpents, the opening of Sheol to swallow up people alive, and even a talking donkey, Numbers is often neglected because, well, the “numbers” or census figures with which the book starts are boring to modern sensibilities—the book is even skipped altogether in some surveys, assuming that nothing really happens other than getting Israel from point A (Mount Sinai) to point B (the cusp of Canaan). Yet nothing could be further from the truth! The Sinai covenant is not complete until the opening of Numbers: The covenant promise is, “I will be your God, you will be my people, and I will dwell in your midst,” and this covenant community is not a reality until God creates the “Camp of Israel” by divine revelation in Numbers. I pray that readers of the commentary will discover that Numbers is the place in the Hebrew scriptures dedicated to a theology of the people of God. This is even a fundamental part of the amazing message of Balaam’s oracles: “How lovely are your tents, O Israel!” (Num. 24:5).
EV: Did you have any “aha” moments while writing the commentary?
MM: Yes, many! Throughout the ten years spent on these Numbers volumes, I often experienced euphoric moments of wonder and praise. When I had taken on the commentary work, I thought I knew what the book was about, but—at every turn—discovered that it was much more intriguing, dramatic, and beautiful than I could have imagined. One cool (in a nerdy sort of way) feature I found was that the Lord’s last five speeches in the book (chs. 33-35) are arranged symmetrically, highlighting the tribal leaders who would finally divide the land for the tribes’ inheritance of Canaan. Providentially, there’s only ten leaders named since two of the tribes chose to inherit outside of Canaan. These ten new leaders, therefore, form a fitting reversal of the previous ten scouts who had slandered the land and caused a whole generation to die out in the wilderness.
EV: What was the most challenging part of the commentary to write?
MM: Without question, the intense research involved was the most challenging aspect. Once I realized there was more to Numbers than what is typically found in standard commentaries, I determined to research much more widely and deeply, a process that re-started with each new chapter. I’m still quite fatigued mentally from the experience.
EV: If your book was made into a movie, what actor/actress would play the lead role?
MM: I don’t know of any actor that fits my own conception of the figure of Moses. Although I don’t know much about him, some pictures of Nicholas Woodeson in different roles give me the impression he’d be a good fit. Actually, I’ve come to know Moses so well that I’d be tempted to audition myself! 🙂
EV: What kind of seminary/church classes should assign your book?
MM: The commentary should work well for courses working through the Torah/Pentateuch, and especially exegesis courses on Numbers—and for pastors preaching through the book. Several zealous students of the Bible have contacted me saying they’ve been able to read through the material with profit, even as laity with no formal training in Hebrew, etc., which makes me very happy.
About the Author
L. Michael Morales (PhD, Trinity College, University of Bristol) is Professor of Biblical Studies at Greenville Presbyterian Theological Seminary.